John's update from Bangkok

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Hello and Happy New Year,

Rebecca has made it back safe to Bangkok, but sitting on a bus for nine hours with a made driver and passengers being sick out the window as the driver stops for NOTHING just did not do it for me lol, so I saw the lovely scenery of Laos from the window of the plane and returned to Bangkok awaiting Rebeccas return in a lovely hotel the Miracle Grand where sorry to say thats where I stayed at the poolside reading and the steam room and sauna, then enjoying the all you could eat breakfast buffet and the all you can eat supper buffet.

Then on New Years Eve I saw Bangkok light up with the most fireworks I have ever seen from the executive lounge on the 14th floor and raised a glass or two.

But returning to Laos it is a must, one thing the bathing with the elephants please keep your mouth closed when you submerge, and you will as the elephant handlers have great fun telling the elephants to shake you off so you go under, and as elephants do they poo in the river too, so you are under mouth open with the shock then the realisation that your foot has also found something soft on the river bed, to the surface like a torpedo you go trying not to add to the water level as you try to get all the water out from your mouth on surfacing not a nice feeling and the water itself has this lovely brown colour.

Well my tummy has been ok so far on this travel and I was not going to let this be my down fall, after the elephant bathing you will depending on your tour be offered to visit a whisky village, this is the cure Rice Whisky it will kill anything you have just swallowed and give you a happy glow all the way back to your hotel. PS tummy still ok.

Off we go again today visiting Wat Pho a very large reclining Bhudda then over to Wat Arun this is a must but if you have trouble with heights and very narrow steps think this one through before heading up, Rebecca had to think hard about how to get down ? this is a local holiday here and all the temples were very busy with offering to the deities, very intresting.

Off to the Grand Palace tomorrow...

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